Epilogue

Abby opened her eyes.

She was standing in her kitchen.

She looked around at the mess. Ollie had really trashed the place in her quest to make that potion. She looked down at the pot on the stove. The contents were clear, and looked to be just regular old water. The spell was over, apparently. The spell book lay open next to the stove.

With a sigh she set about cleaning the house. Anything to take her mind off what had happened to her. She checked the clock on the computer. It was just six o'clock. The same day she and Ollie had left. It felt as if it were a lifetime ago.

Things had definitely changed.

She called the college and pretended to be Ollie, telling them she'd accepted a position teaching in England. That had always been one of Ollie's dreams. The director at the school had been surprised by her leaving, but ultimately understood. Ollie loved change.

Abby resigned from the police force. She could not do it anymore, the work she had loved so much for twelve years just didn't seem to be enough for her. And it was also a personal risk she was no longer willing to take.

She found out a month after her return that she was pregnant. Seven months after that, she gave birth to twins: a healthy baby boy with her dark hair and Mark's green eyes. She named him Christopher Marcus. And a sweet little girl who looked so much like Ollie it made Abby cry. Her name was Olivia Christine. Abby just called her Libby. So not all of Mark had died after all. She had carried a piece of him inside of her, and now she had his children to raise and love as she'd loved their father.

The twins were nearing on a year old. Abby had decided to start up her own internet security business. She only dealt with people online, never had to leave the house to work, and loved every minute of it. One day while the kids were taking a nap, she'd taken the spell book from the top shelf of her closet and flipped through it. There was a spell she had been fighting against using. Mostly because she was afraid it would fail.

Summoning a lost loved one. With a little tweaking she was sure she'd be able to make it more forgiving of the rules. She worked at it for an hour that day, more the next, getting the words just right.

She sent the kids to a friend's house for a morning, and decided it was time to try it. With tears rolling down her cheeks, Abby read aloud the words she'd written, hope in her heart for the first time in a long time.

Nothing happened. With a sigh she put the book away again, this time for good. Her world was not made for magic. She could not bring Mark across time and space.

She picked up Chris and Libby and headed home, balancing them, two diaper bags, and a bag of groceries in her arms as she struggled with her keys at the door. The groceries were slipping. Abby almost dropped Chris. He was trying to reach over her to grab something behind her.

Strong hands stopped the bag before it could split open on the porch. Abby looked over her shoulder…and almost dropped the twins.

It was Mark.

But it wasn't him.

His hair was a bit different, more brown than red, shorter. He had tattoos covering both arms. He was wearing a pair of worn jeans and a faded t-shirt.

His eyes…those green eyes that had seemed to see into her soul were the same though.

"Hi." God help her, even the voice was the same, with a hint of a drawl. He smiled. "Uh…you look like you have your hands full. I thought you could use some help."

"I…" Abby could not speak. Chris wiggled in her arms. The man grinned at the boy and held out his hands. Chris…who in normal circumstances did not like strangers, squealed and leaned toward the man with a giggle.

He cradled Chris in his arms and smiled down at Abby. "Twins, huh?"

"They're a handful." Abby commented, finally finding her voice. Libby settled more comfortably in her arms, taking advantage of her brother's absence.

"I'm Mark."

"Abby." She had to bite back the 'I know' that had popped into her mind at his name.

"I just moved in next door." He nodded in the direction of his house.

"Oh. Well…uh…welcome to the neighborhood." Abby smiled.

"Thanks. You want a hand in the house?" Mark gestured at the door. Abby smile sadly and nodded.

"I'd like that. Thank you."

"No problem. Any time." He tickled Chris on his chin and followed Abby into her house, closing the door behind them.